Fires Within
by PixieGirl17
Summary: This is my first story, so please be nice but don't hold back constructive criticism! This is a one-shot for Eclipse and Raenef, its about conflicting emotions and holding back emotions and feelings. I hope you don't think its too fluffy!


**Disclaimer: **I do not own Demon Diary or any of the characters featured in this story

Fires Within

For **Kirino Tsuki**

"_...my presence here is no longer necessary. I must-"_

"_No."_

_His dark eyes met his baby blue, he marvelled at how powerful he was being. When he first met him he thought him only a child, or more only one with the mentality of a child but now as he stood before him he tingled with...pride? Surprise? His voice was filled with so much determination and authority he blinked with surprise and was unable to speak when before he was never silenced so easily. He was always able to keep his cool but now he was left speechless. He had been to many debates and he was always able to win or if not he always put up a good point and even his opposer even told him this after it had ended. He was always the one who seemed to run the castle when really it was the role of the young master to do so. But now...He didn't know what to say. It was rather strange in fact but somehow this single, powerful word seemed to give him so much hope as well. It always took more than a single word to silence him so completely. He couldn't even think or breathe now. For a long time, for longer than he thought, he suspected that there was no chance that he would be able to hope. He had these feelings burning inside him for so long that he had given up on the belief that they could ever be real but with just one word he was able to dash all these doubts away in an instance..._

~ (***) ~

Eclipse had always been an emotionally distant person, therefore making him a very bad future partner to have. Or to consider the prospect of entering into a relationship with another person being a spell for disaster if he was involved in the equation. He had never even thought about it himself until now. _Why now? Maybe it was...No. It couldn't be. _Another reason why Eclipse never gave himself in to such things was because of discipline and that fact that he always followed the rules. If he ever broke that rule then he would probably have to face a sentence where he would have to leave. That would only be under the circumstances that it was reported by him and therefore it most definitely had to be a mutual attraction rather than a unrequited love. But he highly doubted that this was the case. He was a tutor and a guardian to him. Nothing more. With the way that he looked at him. No...That wasn't love. Well, it was but in the same way that he loved him. The thought occurred to him when he was walking through the gardens and it was when Erutis decided to creep up on him. After months of finally establishing her own guild under strange (and to be frank rather amusing) circumstances she needed a bit of a break. It wasn't the work that was bothering her but is more her benefactor that was bothering her.

He didn't really blame her for wanting to get away either. He could imagine that it was probably quite unbearable to have someone like that following you around and claiming to be in love with you and so forth. She was making a very wise, not to mention sensible decision in rejecting his advances. He had to admit in all the years he knew Krayon he was not the sort of person who knew how to take no for an answer. She was never going to be rid of him unless she found a way to banish him to some other dimension. Or be able to bear the life of a demon lords mistress. It was probably because he was so used to women falling over his feet and being captured by his 'good looks'. In fact, Erutis was the first woman to not behave in such a manner in his presence, let alone have a negative response to him being there. In other words, she was playing hard to get and that was usually something which scarily incited the attentions of someone like Krayon even more.

Despite this though, Eclipse found the whole affair rather amusing in fact. A former knight-ess having a demon falling in love with him and one who crossed paths with them to slay a demon as well. They were hopeless couple which was a relationship that was never going to go anywhere beyond a stalemate between one person who was hopelessly in love with someone who despised their very existence. Then again stranger things had happened in the centuries that he had been alive. It was then when he thought about his own predicament. There was the possibility that Krayon was being genuine in his affections. If he wasn't Eclipse knew he would have given up by now. The horrible thing about it was that he didn't even realise that he had a dilemma. It was all because of Krayon and Erutis when he realised...

Just when he was about to damn them all, a certain someone came charging towards him in her usual attire.

"Morning Eclipse!"

Eclipse wasn't one to be often startled, only with the exception of his present master. There would be one surprise even though it was also his greatest hope but if his attentions were returned..._Just imagine it...Sometimes, that boy could just jump out of thin air..._Then there were the times when he had a nightmare and he would be there to wake up and comfort him. He would always make him talk about it and it was always about the wars, which was a subject with Eclipse never liked talking about. Somehow though, Raenef was able to get it out of him. There was something about his smile which told him that whatever he was going to tell him was going to be okay. That he was never going to blame him for whatever he was feeling guilty about. He had gotten used to his reputation as being a feared warrior that he thought no one would dare startle him. Although this was something to be expected from the masters new friends. Erutis had no fear for anything whether it was demon or not and Chris was simply too dimwitted to care for his own well-being to overrule his pig-headedness. Chris hated all demons so to torment them was one of his favourite hobbies. As for Erutis...She just liked startling men in general. He would not be surprised to hear in the coming years that she would take a girl lover...He stepped back at little and tried not to look too frightened by Erutis' sudden appearance.

"I wonder why you're feeling so jolly this morning..." He grumbled.

Erutis tried to look innocent and glanced up at Eclipse. "Eclipse...If I didn't know any better I would have thought you were being suspicious of me."

"I am." He replied bluntly.

Erutis had gotten used to Eclipse's straightforward manner and so she wasn't too easily startled herself in her encounters and conversations with Eclipse. She had enough training with Krayon. It was something she appreciated quite a lot actually. When she was in the company of someone who believed himself to be good enough to be the chosen one, another a demon lord who liked fluffy bunnys and chocolate and another demon who was following her every move thinking that it was going to earn her love. So being around Eclipse was more relaxing on the mind rather than being around the other three idiots who seemed confused more than anything. She still had to block out her first experience with Eclipse but it was gradually getting easier and easier with the more time that she spent with him. She had her first dosage of it in their first confrontation, unfortunately for her she didn't exactly behave as bravely and with as much dignity as she usually did. She tried not to relive that experience if she could help it. Still whenever she came back to see Raenef and Eclipse again, every time she looked at him...Perhaps it would be best not to look at him full stop. She didn't understand why she came over to talk to him. She came here to see Raenef. As much as she hated to admit to it, she was missing the cowardly, little demon lord...

Although from what she had heard Eclipse had turned Raenef into quite the respectable demon lord. This was something she had to see for herself of course, considering that it would be too good to be true if Raenef had really become a full-fledged demon Lord. The day that would happen the Heavens would start raining with eggs. Or perhaps to more accurately put it, even Hell would freeze over. If they were going to start accepting individuals such as Raenef to be a sufficient demon Lord then they should just surrender to the Heavens here and now because they weren't going to win with a wimp like Raenef in the front ranks. Not to be mean to him, she loved Raenef but she had to be honest. It was a coward, and this was meant from the heart. Although she had seen him a couple of times since hearing this news and she had to admit she was beginning to see this in him. There was a spark of it but not enough to convince her that this was actually the case. She couldn't really imagine him being anywhere close to being ready for whatever tasks he would have to perform in his position. Not in the same way as when he was being possessed by some strange, floating book but in a way which even made her feel a little bit proud of him. But only in a maternal manner.

~ (***) ~

_"My Lord?"_

_Eclipse had finally found his voice again. He never thought he would be able to speak again. He couldn't believe that he was hearing these words let alone being able to do that again. He had no idea how he was able to but all he could do was utter two little words so it wasn't something amazingly well but then considering his mental state at the moment he was doing pretty well. His mind was going in so many directions at the moment he didn't know which way to go or even begin to be able to figure out what was going on. He wasn't even able to stop staring at him, which was in a way which would no longer allow him to be able to hide his true feelings. He was still looking into his eyes and even though it usually took him a long time to fully grasp something but eyes were the window to the soul, as they said, and surprisingly, the little master was becoming better at begin able to read Eclipse of late. Maybe he knew about his true feelings all along? He must have known now if it wasn't obvious either before this conversation or before hand he must have been able to see now._

_"I said no. Your presence here is necessary. It will always be necessary. I don't care about the orders of the councils. Or what you believe to be your duty but I shall never allow you to believe that your presence here, at any point is never necessary."_

~ (***) ~

She folded her arms and looked away. "Well! I have never met anyone who has been so-"

"What do you want?" He demanded.

She waved her arms about in response. "Look I just wanted to get away from work and I thought the best solution would be to come down and see Raenef! Goodness!"

Eclipse smirked knowing the real reason why she was here. Even though she had gotten better at sneaking up on him, her lying skills had gotten increasingly worse than they were before. She was never a brilliant liar really. She loved her new job, she was finally fulfilling the dream which she had since she was a little girl. Even Eclipse could see that and they weren't exactly close enough friends to be able to confide this to him. All her men in her guild were very polite and very obedient, considering the 'second-in-command' although he could imagine that it was enough with her being in charge which was enough to scare those men who followed her. But it was only because they were afraid Krayon was going to smite them rather than out of fear of her. That was the real blow. She was frightening and a good fighter but she was just a little girl to them on her own. They would slit her throat in her sleep if Krayon announced that he was leaving them. Krayon still hung around believing that he was going to win her heart eventually but it was coming to the point when she was close to finding Chris to ask him to perform some enchantment to get rid of him once and for all. But there was always something which was stopping her from doing it. She had no idea what it was though. It was some gut feeling that...She shook her head not wanting to think about it.

Eclipse shrugged his shoulders. "If you think that's the best way to spend your time them that is fair enough."

Erutis narrowed her eyes. "I wasn't asking for your permission..."

Eclipse looked at her darkly. "Really I would have thought most people would think it polite-"

Eclipse was about to raise his hand in the usual position to threaten her with a ball of fire or some other curse which he could throw at her. That usually frightened her into either doing his bidding, do anything he wanted her to do or to be polite to him. However this time she gave him a rather surprising response to this act of aggression. Erutis put her hands behind her head and stepped back a little, she raised her eyebrow lazily and looked like she was waiting for him to finish making her a sandwich. Eclipse was feeling rather confused at the moment. This always worked. What was going on? Was Krayon around? He wasn't afraid of him but he must have put her under the impression that he could defend her against Eclipse's threats. After some time his threatening glares were no longer frightening to her, despite his reputation. She knew there was something more than that which was stopping Eclipse from harming her. If Raenef knew he had done something horrible towards Erutis it would put their relationship under a lot of strain and Eclipse would never do anything which would put that under jeopardy.

"Well I'm not most people." She replied. "Just as long as Chris isn't here I don't care."

"He returned to the temples. He frequents here every now and then but less often than he used

to..."

"I wonder why." Erutis replied.

"Probably for his studies."

Erutis threw back her head and laughed. "That's as possible as you gaining a sense of humour, Eclipse. He probably wanted to leave you and Raenef alone."

Erutis has a little glint of mischievousness in her eyes when she said this like she knew a secret of his which she wasn't supposed to know or didn't want anyone to know. Eclipse was easy to read sometimes. When there was something he didn't want people knowing about something it made it even more obvious that there was something going on. It was funny really, trying too hard made it all the more obvious when it came to Eclipse. Eclipse wasn't sure whether he wanted to threaten her again but he knew now that was no longer going to work. He was going to find some other way of scaring her into being respectful towards him. He wasn't going to let some mere mortal girl undermine him. He also had his reputation to think of as well. Perhaps he could arrange something with Krayon...He looked at her again and saw that she was being genuine in what was being implied in the expression on her face. Eclipse paled over and stared at her for a moment. His mind when blank and didn't know what to do since he had never been in a situation like this. He had never fallen in love with one of his students so...Did she know? It was like she was reading his thoughts. It was rather strange that she appeared at the moment when he was thinking about his relationship with Raenef. There was moment when they both realised something and Erutis pointed at him and cried out.

"I KNEW IT! YOU LIKE HIM!"

~ (***) ~

"_Eclipse?"_

_Eclipse seemed a little startled by the break of silence but he didn't mind. Raenef's topics of conversation had become baring, if anything that had become more interesting than usual. Ranef was staring out onto the twilight sky with his legs dangling on the side with a sparkle in his eyes but with an unsmiling expression. He wasn't sad, he was simply deep in thought and he had just resurfaced to have a breather from it. He always looked like a child when he did this. There was a child-like wonder in his eyes as he stared at such an every day occurrence. It was strange really but then when you dwelt upon such beautiful things in this world who could blame you? Certainly not Eclipse, not a lot of people would have thought this but he thought it selfish to do appreciate the little things about this world. Eclipse liked it when he was like this. He liked that he wasn't afraid to show that he didn't just think about candy and tomatoes (he was still never able to decipher the meaning of that dream, even after Raenef told him what actually happened). When he was being quiet opposed to loud. Calm opposed to excited. Thoughtful opposed to careless. There were always two sides to a person, two extremes. He mainly liked the fact that he was so innocent. He had become a great demon lord but he was also innocent. He wasn't tainted by the world or by the upbringing which he had. _

"_Yes, Little Master?"_

"_Do you think about the future often? I mean times passed so quickly now and it almost feels like the future is coming all too quickly and I suppose if you plan ahead we can stay here for a little longer. Don't you think?"_

"_I agree with you planning ahead. It's a wise habit to get into. As for the rest I don't think you should worry about it too much. I suppose you're also right in the other respect...It's best to hold onto the present as much as you possibly can..."_

~ (***) ~

"Don't be ridiculous!" Eclipse protested, blushing.

"Oh come on you might as well as confessed your love to him in the form of some flowery poetry.

I bet you have a stash of them tucked away somewhere." She teased.

He narrowed his eyes. She must be bluffing. She must have thought of something to make fun of him for with no actual basis, therefore she was simply teasing him for nothing. It was just in her nature to do something like this. She never had any interest in romance at all so it would be a big surprise for something like this to concern her so much all things considered. None of it made sense for her to take such an interest. None of them did for that matter, thank goodness. Just imagine the mess it would make. Look what happened when that little rich brat came and tried to become Lord Raenef's bride. She's even threatening to return once she comes of age. He prayed to the Gods that she would be forced into an arranged marriage by her father so that they would never have to see her again. She would make a terrible wife for Lord Raenef, not to mention a racket to have around the castle. He simply wouldn't be able to put up with it. She was coming onto the verge of being ridiculous. She knew him well enough to know that no one would ever induce him to write such trivial things. Even if that person was the little master (as he liked to call him, even to his face). He had never been much of a scribe or a romantic and never would be. Although if being a romantic entailed being in love was someone. Well he was a romantic...At least he hadn't written any love letters.

"Don't be absurd." He hissed.

"I most certainly am not." Erutis replied seriously. "Besides, I have Raenef to think about. Have you told him yet?"

"Of course I haven't!"

Erutis blinked. "Why not?"

"Why not? What do you mean 'why not'?"

Erutis chuckled and shook her head. "You don't see it do you?"

Eclipse stepped back and moment staring at her. "What do you mean?"

"You haven't realised have you?"

Eclipse clenched her fists. "We could never be more than we already are, Erutis. That's just the way it shall be."

"Why? Why does it just have to be the way things are?"

Eclipse was silent, simply because he didn't know. He couldn't give her an answer. He wanted to be able to in order to get her off his back. There was no point in denying it any more since she was so bent on discussing the subject and sometimes she could be the most stubborn woman he had the misfortune with having to deal with. And of all the people to have him admit to this...He knew that if he didn't make his feelings known to Lord Raenef in the next forty-eight hours there was going to be Hell to pay. And the Hell he worked for was literally like a day-care centre in comparison to the Hell Erutis could bring down upon him. He couldn't think of a reason as to why he couldn't love Raenef as much as he couldn't think of a reason why he could allow himself to love him. Perhaps it was simply because it was something that would be frowned upon. Perhaps he was afraid for Raenef's reputation. He had worked so well and had achieved so much in such a short space of time he felt that if he did this he would be throwing that all away.

Erutis patted his shoulder. "I think I may go back and leave you guys to it. Its obvious you guys need a little...space to figure things out."

"What about Krayon?"

Erutis' eyes widened and looked away. "I'll find some way to deal with him."

Eclipse chuckled. "I've known that man for centuries and I still haven't figure out a method of 'dealing' with him."

"Well I suppose you're not a resourceful woman such as myself, Eclipse." She gave him a final wink before turning around. "See ya later!"

~ (***) ~

Eclipse stared into the flames, contemplating the past events of the last few years. Or more importantly the ones which had occurred over the past few days causing all of these problems to escalate. He would have never thought that he would ever arrive at this place. He had lived for centuries so when the phrase 'time flies by so quickly' was something which was rather appropriate but as the same time bizarre when it came to the swiftness of passing events. It didn't seem so long ago when he found Lord Raenef on the street. He could still recall those bright blue, globe eyes staring up at him so adoringly. Almost as if he wasn't a demon at all. Then again he knew he was one now and he still continued to gaze up at him in such a fashion.

Still, he was unable to understand how three years could pass by so swiftly. How could have come to this place so quickly? How could he have not seen this coming? Maybe Raenef was right. It was like Raenef said, even though you plan really far into the future eventually you come to the future and leaving behind what could have still been your present simply because you didn't hold onto it tight enough. Sometimes the future can come at you so quickly that you aren't always ready for it. Three years with an apprentice had never passed by so quickly. Then again he never expected for something like this to happen to him. He had many Raenef's but never had they been so swift and...Wonderful. It wasn't that his predecessors were unbearable. It was something else. Something else that Raenef had which almost seemed to fill the void which no one else had seemed to be able to fill, regardless if they were his pupils or not. This time it was different. There was something different this time, something he wasn't familiar with either...and it unsettled him greatly. That and something else. Something he didn't want to bring to himself just yet.

Lord Raenef had become a wise and powerful demon lord. Just like a father he was proud of him. Well actually no, he wasn't like a father. He was proud of him like a...He groaned and tried to draw his thoughts aware from this and continued to think about the other aspects of their progress. For those who took ten years to complete their training it took him just three years. When he first met him he would have never expected this...Along with a few other things. His predecessor took years to complete his training and for years since his death he had become a legend, and he Eclipse was amended for his triumph. Now there was Raenef. Who knows what prospects he was going to bring him. However the idea of having Raenef's achievements be used for his benefit made his stomach turn. It made him what to vomit or as if his heart was beating so hard that it would burst out of his chest. He brought his hand to face and rubbed his eyes.

_'What is this?'_ He thought. _'What is this unsettling feeling...that I am so unfamiliar with? What is this emotion I cannot recognise?'_

His whole life he was taught the vast scope of demon powers, of how to submit to only one persons wishes which your own. Demons were to commit the sins which were used to make humans feel so guilty. Even though humans were thought of as being sinful creatures they really were nothing in comparison to the amount of crimes committed by Eclipse's kind. Demons were inherently supposed to be selfish and only look out for themselves except in the case of a there being a heavenly war and that was the only exception you could make. It was all about looking after yourself until you came to the end of your existence, whenever that would be that is. Though no one had ever taught him the very nature of emotions or when we feel something for another being and what that feeling was or what it meant for you, simply because you were never expected to have such feelings for another being let along your master. Or what you were supposed to do when they actually happened to you. He sighed and rubbed his eyes, peering into the flames through his slender fingers.

It burned with such intensity that he felt the fire within his soul dance as he watched the fire before him burn ferociously. It swayed from side to side and the longer he watched it the more he felt likr he was being seduced by it. Sparked, jumped, crackled but it never escaped. It couldn't liberate itself. It was sad and it was pathetic. It made him wonder why some people were so afraid of it. Fire was a surprising thing to control, unless you were a weak, useless human, incapable of becoming nothing more than a mindless drone that could accomplish nothing more than reproducing and mere survival.

Yet ever since he had met Raenef something within him began to thaw. As if the ice around his heart was beginning to melt.

"Eclipse?" A sweet voice sang.

He gracefully craned his neck back and his slanted, calm eyes met his masters. Dark eyes met blue as always, there to cool the intense fire deep in his soul, to give like to the darkness which still haunted him. His serene, kind face shone down on his and there was a ghost of a smile upon his lips. Ever since he maturation he didn't seem as giddy and excitable as he once was when he first arrived. What seemed to have happened was that Eclipse's stern, cool demeanour rubbed off onto Raenef, as his optimistic, care-free nature had rubbed off onto him. He sometimes found himself smiling to himself in the middle of a meeting without realising it, sharing a secret joke or passing a smile towards Raenef.

"Are you okay?" Eclipse blinked then quickly covered up his worried expression with a cool

smile.

"Of course, master. There is no need to be concerned with my welfare."

Raenef was quiet for a moment. Eclipse continued staring into the flames, he had to conceal these

feelings no matter what they were. It was better that the fires within him were controlled.

"Why shouldn't I be concerned with your welfare?" His voice was steely, almost cold. Eclipse turned to Raenef, surprised. He had a serious, annoyed expression on his face. "I've known you long enough in order to know that there is something bothering you. I hate to use this method but I see that I have no other choice. As your master, I order you to tell me what is troubling you."

Eclipse froze. He knew that Raenef was the only person in the world he could confide this to but he felt afraid to. He was afraid that it would break the precious wall enclosed around their world. That it would no longer be safe, or secure. He almost felt tempted to admit that he _liked-things-the-way-they-were._ He turned back to Raenef and saw in his eyes that he wasn't going to withdraw his order.

"Very well. I am concerned about what will happen...after I leave."

The stern expression left Raenef's face. The look that now replaced it was fear. "Leave? Why are you leaving?"

"Now that you have completed your training my presence here is no longer necessary. I must-"

"No."

Eclipse peered at Raenef out the corner of his eye. "My Lord?"

"I said no. Your presence here is necessary. It will always be necessary. I don't care about the orders of the councils. Or what you believe to be _your duty _but I shall never allow you to believe that your presence here, at any point is never necessary."

Raenef strode over and took Eclipse's hand, staring calmly into Eclipse's wide eyes. In that moment everything seemed to make sense. He realised why he was so afraid to leave. He would be leaving a part of himself. He would be splitting his soul in half, the worst part is that for Raenef it would be a ghost he would be leaving behind and for him he would be the ghost wandering through the world aimlessly. Abandoning his true purpose he was afraid to acknowledge.

"You really don't know me well, Eclipse, if you really believe I no longer want you here."

He reached out to him, brushing his fingers against some stray hairs with a ghost of a smile growing ever so slowly upon his lips.


End file.
